Princess Diana's fear for Prince Harry could be exposed in new documentary

Hannah Furnell Tue, October 20, 2026 at 2:30 PM UTC

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Princess Diana's fears for Prince Harry could be exposed in a new documentary, a royal expert says.

Never-before-heard audio from about five hours of secret recordings that the late Princess of Wales made with her friend Dr. James Colthurst in 1991 will feature in the upcoming three-part documentary Diana Unheard.

The recordings, which were used in Andrew Morton's 1992 biography, Diana: Her True Story, include Diana speaking candidly about her sons, Prince William, now 44, and the Duke of Sussex, now 42. Now, a royal expert believes the tapes could expose Diana's concerns about her sons' vastly different paths, even as they remain estranged.

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Diana allegedly worried that Harry might "wither in the shadow of his brother," who will become the future king, Christopher Andersen, the author of Kate!, claimed to Fox News Digital.

"Even at a young age, William shared his mother's concerns and for the most part took great pains to spare his brother's feelings," Andersen continued. "It's very telling that, in his last conversation with Diana just hours before her death, William expressed his fear that a photo opportunity at Eton might leave Harry feeling ignored."

Princess Diana's fears for Prince Harry could be exposed in a new documentary, a royal expert says (Image: Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Images)

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Diana died at age 36 in August 1997 after suffering fatal injuries in a car accident in the Pont de l'Alma tunnel in Paris, France. Her partner, Dodi Fayed, and the driver, Henri Paul, also died in the crash.

According to Morton's biography, hours before her death, Diana called William, then 15, from her hotel in Paris. During their supposed final conversation, William reportedly told his mother that he had been asked to participate in a solo photocall to mark the beginning of his third year at Eton College.

He shared that he was concerned the high-profile solo moment would make Harry, then 12, feel left out. Andersen claims that Diana knew William would succeed as future king, but she was afraid of how Harry would grow into his role within the Royal Family.

"Wise, sensitive, an old soul - these were some of the words that Diana used to describe William," Andersen said. "She saw him as being mature far beyond his years. While Diana knew much would be demanded of William in the future, she never doubted that he would be up to the task."

"Harry was another matter entirely," Andersen added. "The world saw Harry as a charming scamp, and there definitely was that side to him, but Diana knew better than anyone that always being in his brother's formidable shadow could leave the Spare with deep-seated feelings of insecurity and gnawing self-doubt."

However, Andersen believes that Diana had faith in her sons' bond and felt that, whatever came their way, William and Harry would "weather the storm together."

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Diana had faith in Prince Harry and Prince William's bond (Image: Getty Images)

The producers of Diana Unheard have told Deadline that they wanted the docuseries to reframe the narrative around the Princess and give her a voice, ahead of the 30th anniversary of her death next year.

"The media always gave us this tragedy that Diana was sad and lonely and she was manipulated," said Kerene Barefield, Creative Director, Love Monday TV, which produces Diana Unheard.

In her first interview about the doc, she added, "These tapes don't tell that story at all. They tell a story of an incredibly brave woman who had agency and knew what she wanted and how she was going to get to it."

Deadline reports strong interest from international buyers in the series. Cineflix Rights is distributing it, and it is a big launch at MIPCOM next week. Barefield said, "This is what Diana would have done if she was still alive today. That's how we framed it. It's her documentary."

Meanwhile, Diana's faith in her sons' bond was apparently in vain, as William and Harry continue to be estranged.

In late August, the Duke, 42, and Duchess of Sussex, 45, relocated back to the U.K. with their two children, Prince Archie, seven, and Princess Lilibet, five. On September 7, as they settled in the Cotswolds, King Charles issued a letter confirming the couple would remain non-working royals. Meanwhile, the Prince and Princess of Wales, both 44, have remained silent.

The estranged brothers have reportedly had no contact despite now living in the same country again, and Harry's hopes of reconciling with his father and William are reportedly becoming bleaker by the day.

Prince Harry and Prince William have been estranged for more than six years (Image: Getty)

Now, the chances of them putting their differences aside for the holidays have been squashed, something that has made William and Kate "breathe a sigh of relief."

Grant Harrold, who worked for the 77-year-old monarch at Highgrove between 2004 and 2011, believes William and Harry's strained relationship will not be resolved any time soon.

So, it's good that Harry and Meghan are spending Christmas with the Duchess's mother, Doria Ragland, in the U.S.

Harrold, speaking on behalf of OLBG (per The Independent), explained how Harry and Meghan spending Christmas in the U.S. will also be a "get out of jail card" for King Charles. "It's very different to being poker face in public; it is awkward with family," Harrold said. "It would have been such a difficult time."

William and Harry have been estranged since Harry and Meghan moved to the U.S. after stepping back as senior working members of the Royal Family in 2020. Things haven't improved as Harry and Meghan have continued to voice their grievances about the Royal Family in several interviews and documentaries.

In his 2023 memoir Spare, Harry detailed a 2019 physical altercation at Nottingham Cottage where William allegedly pushed him to the floor during a heated argument.

Now, sources have told Rob Shuter's Naughty But Nice that William and his wife, Kate Middleton, have "stopped caring" about the drama surrounding Harry and Meghan.

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”